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Barbarella
Category: Nightlife Dance Clubs Dance Clubs [Edit]
615 Red River StAustin, TX 78701
Neighborhood: Downtown
(512) 476-7766
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- DJ, Music Videos
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Ambience:
- Hipster
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
113 reviews for Barbarella
Review Highlights
"The dance floor was spacious and full of love."
(in 27 reviews)
"and Grits and Gravy Thursdays (Soul."
(in 5 reviews)
"No cover except on Fridays and Saturdays too which is nice."
(in 9 reviews)
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113 reviews in English
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Review from Lanie L.
1/16/2012
$2 well drinks happy hour that ends at 11pm on Thursday nights? Count me in! and no cover before 10pm? Get your stamp at the beginning of the night and make your way down 6th street before returning here later!
Drinks are generous, dance floor is spacy. Lights are trippy, while the vibe is funky.
Didn't know there was an upstairs, but hey I had fun rocking out 80's style downstairs.
To the awkward-dancing man who's clearly there by himself: don't let anyone get you down! If you're having fun, then forget everyone else! -
Review from Joe K.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012
Good dancing. Fun. Love the generously strong drinks. And the bar is enormous, once you factor in the back area and upstairs.
Don't love the recent influx of one-star reviews, from reviewers with one review. I thought yelp had a filter for this kind of Internet-pitchfork garbage? -
Review from Alexandra K.
Austin, TX
1/4/2012
I absolutely love to dance. But I've been here once and had zero fun. The music was bad, the crap on the TV monitors was bad, but I can't comment on the priciness or drinks because I didn't partake. It was a memorable night because of how sucky it was.
Regardless of whether the allegations of assaulting two customers against their employees is true or not, they have handled it in a way I don't respect. They're deleting all negative comments on their Facebook page, and I read a screenshot of them ranting publicly at the accusors, before deleting it. It was most unprofessional, and I won't support this business. -
Review from Hisham B.
Austin, TX
2/8/2012
Dumbasses trying to charge cover at 1:15am. Told them I'd tip a lot more than their cover because it's not worth a $5 ATM fee to get in just to meet friends for a few minutes. The door girl's response was "either go in or get out, I don't give a shit what you do, just stay away from my fucking door". So I walked out. The bouncer felt he needed to chime in and added the invaluable contribution of "never come back here again". I've lived in Austin for years and never even heard of this shit hole even though I'm almost exclusively Red River. Douchey spot.
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Review from Amber D.
1/4/2012
I've been here many times over the years, and my experiences have been up and down. It is often times a great dance floor, and other times the staff seems annoyed, the wait for drinks is unbearable, and every inch of the place screams, "Uninviting!"
Again, I've had fun nights here as well, but that was due to the company I was with and dj that was playing.
The rumors are out, and I've personally experienced some extreme rudeness from the staff, but they're dealing with drunks (most of the time), and probably on edge for a lot of reasons, but that is no excuse for the recent allegations against them for violent, hateful, and even homophobic behavior. Whether these are true or not, I can't tell, and I (personally) wish to avoid speculation. Rumors aside: I have had fun here a few nights, and think there are certain areas in which they could improve, but overall, if you're the "clubbing" type, and enjoy dancing, you may enjoy yourself. -
Review from Robert S.
East Austin, Austin, TX
12/27/2011
I really want to give Barbarella a higher rating. After all, the place practically defined this summer for me.
What's good about Barbarella? It's huge and has a massive back patio. It's filled with good-looking, interesting, fun people. The music is good, particularly if you don't visit often -- more on that later though. Drink prices are fair and are dirt-cheap if you show up before 11. Half the staff is wonderful.
The bad part is that bartenders often overcharge you -- they'll confuse the credit cards of two people with similar last names, for example -- and try to kick you out for being drunk and belligerent if you raise exception, even calmly. Remember how I said half the staff is wonderful? Half the staff are dicks, homophobic ones at that.
The music is good in and of itself but does get quite repetitive, particularly if you go on "Grits 'n' Gravy" soul night on Thursday. You'd think only 50 songs were made throughout the entire 60's and 70's! -
Review from Steve A.
Austin, TX
Updated - 1/2/2012
After witnessing an embarrassing altercation with a female, following her down the block calling her awful names, these "gentlemen" are still working. She should have pressed charges for the way they flung her back and forth violently. What's wrong with people these days. I understand the frustration, but this female was about 4 feet tall. No match for the burley man
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/19/2011
So, I usually frequent the place on Friday nights (Elysium on Sunday nights got too sleazy, along… Read more »
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Review from Katie S.
Austin, TX
12/31/2011
The bouncers are awful. I saw them shove a woman and call her a C**t. Last night I saw employees put their hands around a man's neck for kicking over an empty plastic cup and called him "Queer". No one deserves to be treated like that.
This is a sexist, homophobic establishment. -
Review from Edwin P.
Austin, TX
12/7/2011
Barbarella:
Drink
Laugh
Love
Sweat
Smoke
Sin
Dance yourself clean
5 stars -
Review from James S.
Austin, TX
11/17/2011
This is the worst place I have ever experienced. The bad music, incompetent bartenders who don't know how to make drinks, and worthless security that tries to bully everyone!
What clubs do you know that chare a cover for someone 21 and up?
Note to owners: Fire everyone and hire a friendly staff, then you will have a great club! -
Review from Lesley W.
Round Rock, TX
11/29/2011
One of the more unique experiences in Austin I've had. The biggest pro they have is a massive outside area, huge dance floors, and really good music. Since their website is messed up and you can't see the theme nights - here they are!
Sunday: Bump (Hip-Hop
Tuesday: Tuesgayz (Pop/Electro)
Wednesday: Brand New Retro
Thursday: Grits/Gravy (Classic Soul/Rock n Roll)
Friday: Footloose (80s)
Saturday: New Noise (New Indie/Electro)
I personally have enjoyed Tuesgayz, and Grits/Gravy. Super fun music to dance to!
What's crazy is that it's ALWAYS packed when I've gone, the drinks aren't cheap, and they are very quick to kick someone out. I've seen tons of seemingly normal people getting kicked out, while some chick is puking in the corner. It's just a little confusing. -
Review from Chris F.
Austin, TX
10/19/2011
Last night I was having a great time at Barbarella. Around 1:50 I was standing by the restroom waiting for my friend to come out so we could leave. A man comes up to me grabs me around my chest with one arm, then around my neck with the other and starts dragging me through the bar out the front door. He was much bigger than me and it wasn't until we got outside that he identified himself as a bouncer. At no point did he tell me why he did this, and I had literally just been standing there. Once outside I tried to talk to him but he ignored me and went back inside slamming the door. I will admit I was drunk... but it was Tuesgayz and I was at a bar so... kind of normal. Plus I was not driving myself home.
I opened the door and tried to argue with him saying that my sweater as well as my friends who I had come with was still inside. He slammed the door on me again. I re-opened it, went inside, was once again grabbed around the throat and chest and pulled out.
This is where things got really fucked up. Two hipster looking girls came up to me and told me they were undercover TABC. They did not show me badges, did not try to handcuff me. They put their hands on me and tried to pull me somewhere that had been unspecified... kind of like I had been arrested. I walked with them for a few second very confused as to what the fuck was happening, and basically decided I was not going to take this and pulled myself away and attempted to walk away. This is when the bouncer decided to get involved again. He, as well as the TABC girls, and some random dude with a mullet that decided he couldn't mind his own business all slammed me against a wall by my throat banging the back of my head against the wall as well.
These three groups were holding me against the wall by my throat in my face yelling at me. At this point I started yelling trying to get anyone's attention letting them know I was being publicly assaulted. I still didn't know why mullet guy was there. At no point did I hit anyone, grab anyone or anything like that. The only thing I did physically was thrash to break out of their grip.
Finally when I was either let go or got free I went to leave the situation by crossing the street. These three groups; bouncer, TABC, and random mullet guy; followed me across the street and were yelling towards me. Having had enough of this abuse I saw a police car and walked right up to it and started to tell the officers what had just been happening. Of course when I turn around to point out the people they had retreated back to the bar. I understand that maybe in my drunkenness I was being out of control, but if that was the case these three groups of people shouldn't have had to disappear once the police were involved, especially TABC.
The police did nothing just made sure my friends were there to take me home at which point the night ended. When I got home I checked my shirt and found that it was ripped at the shoulder and there were several small blotches of blood on it. I've never had an experience like that in my life. I go to Barbarella just about every week either to Tuesgayz or New Noise. I have a great rapport with the normal bouncers and all the bartenders. I'm very upset that I could be treated this way and have nobody get involved or give me on justifiable reason as to why this happened. -
Review from Sarah M.
Austin, TX
12/3/2011
It's a space to drink and dance when the music is good. Please never play American Pie again...please...
I sort of got dooped when I went here. I looked at the line of the guy checking id's, I didn't see him taking any cover so I got in line, showed him my ID. As soon as I got in I was asked for 4 bucks. DAMN! I didn't have any cash on me so the girl, who was very nice by the way, told me there was an ATM machine which cost 4 bucks. So 8 bucks and I didn't even have a drink yet! Add the coat check which is 3 bucks and ....Goddamit! The bartenders were fine, good actually. They didn't pay attention to the morons who just run up and say HEY HEY HEY! They acknowledged I was there first and by passed other guys. Otherwise, the place was just not that impressive and the DJ had some serious ADD.
Very typical downtown club. -
Review from Tracy M.
1/2/2012
80s dance party? Sign me up! Came here on a Saturday night and the DJ played top 80s hits as well as tracks 8, 9, and 10; songs that you've never heard or cared to listen to. Fun regardless. Stayed on the bottom floor before we realized there was an upstairs and an outside area. Why didnt we know that sooner?! The DJ outside played more Top 40 hits so there was a different vibe between the two areas. Cool place.
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Review from david g.
Austin, TX
1/5/2012
been dragged here many times, hated everything about the place. Intolerable staff.
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Review from j c.
Austin, TX
10/6/2011
So I've read some of the reviews on here & I guess it's a 50/50; but from my perspective & like another reviewer pointed out, it's nice to find a place to break a sweat dancing other than Elysium. Now I don't go to clubs to try to "hook up" (that's what the fruit section at the grocery store is for), I go to get ma groove on & I gotta say, Barbarella's choice of music is just up my alley. How can you NOT like the 80s' bubble gum music, it's happy happy, joy joy, it just makes you want to dance.
If I do have something negative to say, it's the AC; Do they have one? I went one night & as soon as I walked through the door beads of sweat began pouring down from my scalp. Did I just eat a jalapeno or is it crazy hot in here? & I haven't even hit the dance floor yet. When we ordered drinks I was like, "chic, it's hot in here, just throw the drink on me, I'll absorb the alcohol via osmosis", now move aside cuz Christravolta is about to get his dance fever on!!!
Oh & on a side note, I agree, get drinks elsewhere. -
Review from Kimo P.
1/15/2012
Oh 7th Street...the anti 6th street! We decided to come here while bar hopping and I think I remember someone saying this was somewhat of a gay bar but not really...comes to find out it is but usually on a Tuesday night. It was the weekend and everyone was out so obviously we decided to check it out...we came here after the hip hop bar a few bars down and boy is this some quirky shit! lol Line to get it in was not that long, I read about the bouncer stories on here and was expecting more out of them but we got in just fine...the bar is pretty huge with plenty of holes around the perimeter to fill in and grab the attention of the bartender...the dance floor is right there next to it and although it is a video bar...I guess my conception of a video bar is based on the gay bars like OCH, but OMG what the hell kind of videos were they playing?! The music had that Foster the People kind of vibe and that's all there was...it never varied from that....I'm from Hawaii and am used to that chill ska kinda music and feeling and have had plenty of fun at those kinda bars, and was thinking it was going to be that way here but all I can think about is how pathetically high some of these extremely young bar goers are jumping and "dancing" to this music...don't get me wrong, I love the quirk of it all and there was some sexy nerd cuties here and there, but geez I felt like I needed a small whiff of mary jane if I was gonna stay there all night long. Luckily, we were in a bar hopping mood and only stayed for a bit...I do like this bar and am curious how it is on other nights esp Tues...kinda caters more to the young college crowd but I'll definitely give it another try one of these days...it definitely fits in the 7th street corridor!
Listed in: My Austin Bar Hop Stops, Gay Bars in Austin You Gotta…
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Review from Megan B.
Austin, TX
1/22/2012
Barbarella is probably the most fun I've ever had out at a dance club. It's for the geeky, not so confident person who wants to cut loose. I'm not a great dancer, but always feel welcome here. They play great hipster tunes & it's just a really Austin place. Thursday night Dance Party is my favorite night to go when I do have off of work because they play awesome throwbacks like 'Proud Mary'. I highly recommend taking cash! The bars do get confused with last names on cards and there is no use in disputing errors. Take CASH and you will avoid this issue. They also have had issues with their systems crashing at the end of the night so cash is always a plus! Take your dancing shoes and a free-spirit attitude & you'll have great times, make new friends, & have awesome memories!
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Review from Missy B.
7/16/2011
Have you ever had a night you needed even though it was not memorable at all? I just did and it ended less than an hour ago.
The scene: Friday night after midnight, 80s music, dance all night. In the main room, videos play which correspond with every third song while people dance on dance floor. Some of them are guys, half of these guys are dancing without rhythm, the other half look confused about how they actually found rhythm. Bartenders somewhat attentive. Drinks are okay and prices are okay.
Main characters
-Pretty friend who dances up a storm and who every guy hits on.
-Me who is full of personality and spunk, but guys don't give a...
Opening Act
Main characters enter scene, obtain drinks, circulate and decide to dance. Two songs and two drinks in, I proceed to demonstrate how to pop-and-lock to a Phil Collins song. My friend immediately tries it out.
Friend and I walk around inside and then head out back; for some reason, I keep shouting, "It is huge" over and over because I think this bar is 10 times bigger than it actually is, but then after trips around it just seems like a poorly constructed funhouse.
Cut to out back, friend chatting with guy, Mick. I bow out of conversation to visit Ladies' Room.
Act II: Ladies Room
I carefully read sign on wide-open door to confirm I am entering Ladies' Room. Announce upon entering: "I read the sign carefully, but I should have just looked inside and I would've seen you lovely ladies!" One glare received. One lady and I discuss the nightmares we both have of stalls without doors and stalls with no locks and conspicuously placed in the dark. Her story involves a sketchy janitor. Then I receive a warning from another patron, "that one works, but I can't explain all that liquid on the floor around it."
Act III: Return out back
Me: Hi, Mick! Where did my friend go?
Him: Your friend?
Me: Yeah. (Smile at his friend who walks up.) Who is your friend?
Friend introduces himself. We chat for a couple of minutes. Then....
Me: Mick, where did she go?
Him: Nick, not Mick.
Me: Yeah, yeah. Where is my friend?
Him: I don't know who you are talking about.
Me (scan patio, see friend, pointing to my friend and Mick): That is my friend. Look, she is chatting with your doppelganger, Nick. Mick? Nick?
Him: I am Nick.
Me: Well, do you see Mick over there? Kismet! Go meet him.
Doppelganger: No, I am not Mick; I am Nick. We are both Nicks?
Everyone laughs. Conversation is brief. Crickets heard.
Me: I am bored. Goodbye. (Grab friend and head back to dance floor.)
Act IV: Back on dance floor
My friend and I proceed to dance to 80s songs compiled by someone who mixes 80s songs like child born in 2002 and so doesn't realize which songs go well together and that songs released in 1992 aren't from the 80s.
We decide it is time to leave when we witness the following: petite girl with a Spiderman tin lunch pail in hand, freaking on guy who looks like her twin and who is freaking on an awkwardly moving guy while being watched by straight guys standing in every doorway with the "I am drunk" half-open eyes.
Act iV: Friend and I walking to our respective cars. We discuss how it is important to purge certain numbers from our cellphones in order to maintain sanity. Numbers are deleted. We both shout, "Cathartic!" -
Review from Andrew H.
Austin, TX
8/25/2011
When Barbarella first opened it offered an alternative to the mindless maze that makes up downtown. However, after all this time it's lost a lot of zeal.
The drinks are somewhat pricey compared to other bars just around the corner, and something about being served a shot or any drink in a plastic cup throws me off. The bartenders are usually pretty cool (if you don't mind waiting up to 10 minutes for a drink at times), and they will serve you up until 2am. The bouncers are another story, there's nothing quite like having a drink slapped out of your hand for doing absolutely nothing.
The music isn't bad, but the playlists are exactly the same from week to week. If you want to dance, this is your place to be, if you want to stretch your pocketbook and time, head elsewhere. -
Review from clancey y.
Austin, TX
9/20/2011
Good Dj on Tuesgays, or known as Glitoris. The rest of the nights here are pretty bland. You always run into your friends on Tuesdays, and notice other promoters and bookers from other venues. Bartenders are pretty cool, and laid back and adequate. NOW lets get to the security! I have heard stories about things, and dismissed them tell I witnessed. Some of the security can be abusive, cruel and way to physical. Holding someone down and beating them, is not acceptable under any circumstance. I am going to stop there, I would like to keep this review short.
Large club (2 floors and large outback)
Adequate bar staff and drinks
Decorated dark and nothing over the top
Hipster, with older crowd as well to give credit
Good Dj (on Tuesday, music to make your ass clap)
Do some quality control on the security staff, spend a little money on a few things. You got 5 stars.
By the way ther is no live music, only club. -
Review from Melissa A.
Austin, TX
7/16/2011
"Pour Some Sugar On Me" and give me "A Little Respect".
Oh and "Video Killed the Radio Star". Those were some of my favorites from 80's night at Barbarella, otherwise known as "Footloose". In the building that used to be Spiro's, this club is huge and slightly decrepit (watch your step in the outside area: lots of missing bricks and misaligned footing). There are 3 bars throughout the club so there's usually not a long wait for their strong and cheap drinks.
The best part is the main dance floor is huge, although very packed. They would do well to possibly move the DJ booth to where it used to be in the Spiro's heyday and knock down a few walls to expand the dance floor. That also might eliminate some of the ant-farm feel to this place, which some may find charming, but I find claustrophobic.
Subtract major points for the 90s faux pas last night: I like "Closer" as much as the next person, but it does not belong at 80s night. It would have been almost acceptable if they would have played a song from the "New Noise" playlist, which is featured on Saturday nights.
Although this night used to be free, a long long time ago, cough up you $3 to enjoy some of the best 80s dancing this city has to offer. -
Review from Bo Y.
10/10/2011
Terrible place. Bad music, incompetent bartenders who don't know how to make "HBombs" or "Oh Babies," weird crowd, dirty venue...And they still have the guts to charge a $4 cover. I don't want to waste anymore time writing a review on them. They'll be out of business soon.
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Review from Chris T.
Austin, TX
7/10/2011
Not sure how this place gets such high ratings??
Barbarella actually is a really cool place to see a band or dance it up -- if you're drunk....... because the place is a dive to the max!!
The bathrooms here are small and it is impossible to get to the front of the line if the place is packed.
Drink selection: It's ok. They don't have much in the way of beer, or liquor, but if you're here you just trying to get your dance on or already drunk. The drinks are pretty cheap.
If you're looking for a good time out, stick with west 6th. The clientel here tends to be hipsterist (and not the chilled ones, the douch bag ones) and the place is filthy.
I've had good times here though (as noted above DRUNK) so I won't give this a 1 star...... but it's close. -
Review from Jessica P.
Manhattan, NY
9/8/2011
Went the other night for Tues-gay. The place was super fun with a mixed gay/straight crowd having a great time and dancing like crazy.
The place has several rooms, and can be a bit of a maze when you've had a few drinks so be warned. -
Review from Lindsay P.
Austin, TX
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Extremely rude and abrasive staff. Avoid Bro-barella's.
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Review from Heather F.
Austin, TX
3/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Naysayers be gone. This is my favorite dance club in all of Austin.
Dance club not in the sleazy way Elysium can sometimes be; dance club not in the too trendy over the top crawling with 18 year old's way ____ can sometimes be (there are more than one of those so I am allowing you dear reader to fill in the blank yourself). But fun, hip, lose yourself in the crowd sort of way.
Barbarella is a video dance club. If you want insider tips on this I don't have them. All I can tell you is that there are several video screens showing music performances of the said songs. My favorite night is Thursday night where they have "Grits and Gravy" which are all the best soul and rock & roll songs from the 50s, 60s, and 70s complete with, yes, music videos. Dance to Stevie Wonder. Dance to Elton John. Just dance.
And I hear they are getting a photo booth pretty soon.
No cover except on Fridays and Saturdays too which is nice.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from Brian J.
Austin, TX
3/27/2011
this place use to be amazing....great music, great staff, amazing people. Somehow this place is now the next Beauty Bar with all the lame wannabe hipsters circa 2002 from the burbs. Horrible, no talent/personality staff (unlike the staff of the original home). blah.....pass....if you like washed up cliches of the "hipster"kind and predictable play list via "DJs"
Find something else. -
Review from Scott S.
Austin, TX
10/7/2011
Web site sucks. Hard to get the info I need. Hire me to fix it. Seriously.
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Review from Eliza D.
Austin, TX
5/27/2011
I love to dance. Barbarella plays great music to dance to, sells reasonably priced drinks, and has a big dance floor with music videos. In conclusion, I love Barbarella.
Admittedly, I do miss the old days when it was a hidden gem with a much smaller d-bag presence and no line at the bar... but you can keep a place like Barbz for secret long! -
Review from Doris P.
Miami, FL
1/3/2012
We were outback and I kicked over an empty plastic cup with my heels and was about to walk back inside when this white guy with dreads grabbed my by the throat and started shoving me back to where the cup was and was screaming at me to pick up the cup and put it in the trash can "like a human being" and I wasn't fighting back or arguing, just trying to pick up the cup but it was a little hard to gracefully bend over in my heels so my friend Pablo picked it up for me in the midst of the guys who worked there screaming at me and intimidating me. The guy with dreads grabbed the cup from Pablo and threw it back on the floor in front of me and told me to pick it up saying "your mother doesn't live here." I did so, daintily and asked where the trash can was. I put it in the trash can and they started shoving all of my friends and I, leading me out with their hands around my throat. They were imitating me with a gay lisp. They grabbed my friend Katie and pushed her and called her a cunt and as I was leaving they screamed "nice heels queer." Katie and I tried talking to the supposed "manager" out front (apparently the manager is actually a woman, but this guy wemtalked to said the three men who assaulted us worked for him so we assumed he was either a manager or supervisor figure of some sort) who pretended to be too busy to talk, said he didn't believe us because "what am I supposed to take your word over the guys who work for me?" and said it wasn't possible for an employee at Barbarella to be homophobic because they host a gay night called "tuesgays" even though the DJ who plays on tuesgays has come out and said he has experienced shit like this from the men who work there before. Some friends in Austin who work in the bar scene have been twittering and facebooking about what happened to us and encouraging people to stay away from that bar. People have been commenting saying that they have experienced violence and sexism and homophobia from the bouncers there before and that they have the scars to prove it. Katie is working hard coming up with ideas on how to slam these assholes. We're starting a Facebook group about it so more people can see it, contacting Equality TX and women's groups, we're calling the bar and leaving voicemails until they call us back (we got an answering machine when we called them last night but now the number seems to just lead to a fax machine) Katie even wants to make signs to post outside of the club. Ugh.
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Review from Alexis G.
Austin, TX
8/6/2011
Every time we walk into my place my friend says, "I have to poop" so we walk into the door-less bathroom and pick the lest offensive stall. We almost always show up around midnight after a drink or five. If we go before this we are usually are treated to the sight of about only 5 people stumbling around on the dance floor.
At one point in time after midnight, suddenly there are people standing around everywhere. People actually dance at this place, which is the main reason I like it. The other people are waiting in line for drinks or standing outside smoking and looking at each other.
I would basically be happy anywhere if there is decent music and other people actually dancing. Sometimes the music here is straight up terrible, mostly on Saturdays. If I am stuck at Barbarella on one of these days I will just order some quadrupedal vodka sodas and wander around looking at the strange mix of people. Seriously, there is just about every type of person here. I am noticing quite a few more "creeper" guys floating around or appearing behind me when I am just trying to obnoxiously dance. That kind of sucks as that is one of the reasons I DON'T like most of the bars on sixth, but creepsters are going to be anywhere.
Anyway, yeah, it is an okay place to go. It is quite hit or miss with the music (I usually like Thursday), but in general you can get some good dancing time in. The drinks are whatever (have a few before you go). There is usually room to go stand around with your friends if there is something they need to gossip about. I don't go to bars to get laid, but if that is what you are into, I am sure you can find it. If you are like me and don't want to be attacked by grabby drunk dudes, then you can probably get by relatively unscathed. Overall, it is pretty fun especially if nothing else is going on that night. -
Review from Marie L.
Garland, TX
7/20/2011
Great scene! It's just a whole bunch of people dancing their pants off. The people who go there are super cool and nice for the most part, so it's a good crowd. They have different types of music, can't remember exactly what. I've pretty much reached my "happy buzz" once I get to Barbarella, so I just start dancing.
Friday and Saturday are good days, but "Tuesgays" are pretty good too! However, I did run into a girl, whom I knew through someone else, who "playfully" started choking me in the middle of the dance floor! Crazy, right? Anyway, maybe a bouncer could walk around to make sure everyone is still alive and not getting assaulted. I know it seems ridic and highly unlikely for it to happen all the time, but it obviously happened at least once.
I actually lost my iPhone last night, and Holly (the bar manager) was kind enough to message me on Facebook letting me know that it's in her possession. Got my phone back and it's in pristine condition! -
Review from Shani S.
2/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
We went here on a Thursday night and had an AMAZING night! I love the music, I love that I can be there an not worry about some drunken frat boy or slimy drunk guy approaching us and that we can dance all night to music I really love!
The drinks are perfectly poured and the bartenders were pretty darn cool.
Listening to wonderful music from the 50's 60's and 70's while documentaries about said music showed on the various screens around us was superb.
Fabulous time.Listed in: Five Stars
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Review from Jenn M.
Austin, TX
2/13/2011
Let me tell you a story about the night the bartender closed out my tab with another patron and GAVE THEM MY DEBIT CARD.
How hard is it to CHECK ID'S before closing tabs??!!???
Two weeks before I got a replacement card. Pay cash! This place was cool when it first opened, now its gotten too big for its britches. -
Review from joseph b.
Austin, TX
6/15/2011
Place is kinda hit or miss but i usually have a good time here.
Sure, most of the staff are jobbers and it takes forever to get a drink. They may have played the Strokes "Last Night" one too many times. But if you are in the mood for a clubby club in Austin, this would be my first choice. -
Review from Tate S.
Austin, TX
Updated - 2/16/2011
So... I don't really know what happened. Maybe I burned out. Maybe the crowd changed. Maybe I started being more sober? (Nope.) But 2010's fun oasis of indie dance music has ballooned in size and become a bit of a mess, losing a few stars in the process.
Barbarella is worse every time I go. The new space is stately and cavernous, but the seriously understaffed and perpetually crowded bars make it difficult to get anywhere. In theory, a talented wait staff could take care of this -- but no. Imagine standing at the bar for 5 minutes before a bartender points at you... several times... over the course of the next 5 minutes. The bartender takes your drink order, which involves opening a can. Then the bartender flirts with a few other customers and *leaves the bar*, never to return. Amazing, yes? But at Barbarella, all things are possible if they involve failing to get a drink.
The vibe also took a turn for the worse. Quirky and hilarious gave way to pretentious and rude, and people dress up to flash their hipster cred around. Dancing idiots spill their drinks on you then yell like it's your fault. Many (but not all) of the staff now come with extra aloofness, too, and are somehow amazingly bothered being asked to mix two liquids in a plastic cup.
One smaller problem that has been vastly amplified recently is the fact that Barbarella can only be one of two things at any given time -- awkwardly empty or crush-level crowded. How is this possible? I don't know -- again, I suspect the awkward layout -- but the turning point seems to happen at around midnight or 12:30 no matter what the night is.
Barbarella is still one of your better weekend dance options, but that's mostly because there aren't any other good ones in Austin. It just isn't as much fun anymore, frankly. What a shame.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/20/2010
Barbarella is an oasis to the often flavorless drunken mess that is the much overhyped Dirty 6th.… Read more »
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Review from Monica O.
1/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Woefully I never saw Barbarella in all its well-designed grandeur before moving a few doors down to its current sprawled state. The dance floor is in a corner with minimal traffic outlets. There appears to be far too many side rooms to effectively facilitate your meeting-up purposes. There seems to be an acute miscalculation of the Barbartender-to-consumer ratio, and the disco ball, grand distributor of all things luminescent and shiny, seems to be out of its characteristic rotating commission [room for improvement, ahem].
However! If you don't care much about the drinks or the looks or the design that would impede or aid traffic flow, and you really just care about moving into a frenzied sweaty interpretation of 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' on a Friday night...
Barbarella gets the job done, expertly. The green lasers help.Listed in: Shuffle Scoot Swing Jive
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Review from Jessica H.
Hyde Park, MA
3/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is cool, I wish we had it in Boston.
We came here for my friend's bachelorette party. The dancing floor is big and the bar is huge (but you still have to wait a while to get a drink...::sigh:: it sucks being short and not being seen compared to all the tall guys around me)
I loved all the 80s new wave and punk they were spinning, great dance music. There are so many rooms to this place, it is a maze - you can easily get lost from your friends but at the same time the rooms are awesome because I'm sure you could makeout with your boyfriend and no one would even see you!
Drinks are really cheap too.
I like the backyard - big outdoor space for all the smokers and to cool off.
I would come here every time I wanted to dance if I lived in Austin. -
Review from Maurice G.
Austin, TX
1/5/2011
A terrible shame whats happened to Barbarella. Once the darling of Red River, in its humble shelter with accessible dance floor, bartenders, and smoking patio -- has manifested into Molotov with a open door policy for Chucks and jeggings.
The new building is a monster and its very feckin obvious that mgmt has overextended its staff with about 150 patrons per bartender. At the old place, these people used to be really great -- kind and accommodating, appearing to have fun with it -- but now have lately become grouchy and irritable. I'm afraid to ask for a feckin drink for fear of offending some asshole for the slight favor of mixing two substances together in a plastic cup. I'll take a fucking tall boy then, sheesh.
The dance floor, once the showpiece of the club, has now been shoved into a sideroom, presumably what was once the library, of an long-since boarded downtown estate. Its fucking mobbed -- not that the other one wasn't, but there was access to relief on multiple sides, including a convenient bar to rest your cocktail on whilst you move it to Dance Yrself Clean or O.N.E. And please don't even get me going on that massive yard out back. The whole place just seems like you're at a party that has too much space, and disperses the crowd from enjoying the festivities together -- too many people hangin out in the kitchen and all the dudes are out back by the keg.
My wife and I were once-a-week Barbaholics, but since the new spot opened, we decided that going out shouldn't be this difficult. Really, all we're asking for is just a bit of drunken, danceable fun, and Barbarella seems to have violated its boundaries. We'll probably try it again in the future, since it was such a dandy part of our 2010, but we're pretty bummed about this new shit that has come to light.Listed in: Austin Lounges
